Love is Blind
by Angelique Moonlight
Summary: Alexandria Draven and her family moved back to Ireland from the United States, she's not sure how things will turn out this year... but she is willing to "see" if things are going to be better at Hogwarts than she is used to.
1. Chapter 1

_Author's Note: Hey everyone... this is my first real fan fiction that I've written and been happy with. Please review if you can, I appreciate feedback as it helps me better my writing style. This chapter is pretty much an introductory chapter. I will post as soon as I finish each chapter, which make take some time since I'm generally swamped with my real life duties. Hope you enjoy the story._

Chapter One

"Alexandria Kiara Draven, get your bum up now!" Her mum yelled to her from the other side of the house.

She grumbled into her pillow, not wanting to be awake just yet. She slowly climbed out of her nice warm sleeping bag and trudged to the kitchen, holding onto a wall for support. When she got into the kitchen she could smell the Egg McMuffins her parents got from the nearest McDonalds. She almost wanted to retch at the scent of the cheap breakfast food; instead she sat down on the counter farthest from them. "By the way mum, I told you before, my name is not Alexandria, and it is Alex."

Her mum laughed softly at her stubbornness. "Alright then I suppose I'll start calling you Alex, but I do prefer Alexandria. Are you excited about today?"

Alex thought about it for a while. Today was the day they moved from the US back to Ireland. Alex didn't quite know how to feel about it, she'd been living here since she was five years old. Though she knew her younger brother would be excited about it since he had never seen Ireland. Then again, neither had she. One of the many perks of having been born blind. She decided to tell her mum the truth about how she felt. "Honestly mum, I don't know how to feel. This place has been my home for so long. When we move, I'll have to get used to a whole new house and a whole new area. It's a bit scary for me."

She heard her mum stand up, and then suddenly she felt her mum's arms around her in a soft embrace. She hugged her mum back, inhaling deeply. She loved how her mum smelled, always a warm and earthy scent. She let go when her mum did and hopped off the counter to join the rest of her family. She might as well eat something before they got on the plane.

She thought it was kind of funny that they were traveling the Muggle way to their new home, seeing as they were from the Wizarding world. She had previously been going to a school for the last three years called Clearly Gifted, School of Magic. It was a school for young witches and wizards to learn how to control their magical abilities. Her brother Roiben had been going there as well, only he was taking introductory classes in order to give him a heads up about what to expect in the years to come.

She would miss her old school and her old friends, she thought while she slowly ate her food. However, she expected to receive a letter to Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry some time during this summer at their new place in Ireland. When she finished eating, she got up and went into the bathroom to brush her teeth. Just as she was done brushing her teeth, her mum came in and brushed her long wavy auburn hair back into a ponytail.

"I missed being able to do this while you were at school, though I'm sure you managed without me. You always did, even when you were little. You hardly ever wanted anyone's help doing anything. It was like you wanted to prove to the whole world that being blind wasn't going to stop you. I only wish there was a way I could have given you your sight back, then you could see all the beautiful things I see." Her mum sighed softly and set the brush down.

She turned towards her mum and smiled. "There are beautiful things in my world too mum. Like the soft way you speak when you're recalling a fond memory, the way you always smell so earthy like you've just finished gardening, and the way you hug me when you're excited about anything. Those are just a few things, the ones that top my list of beautiful things."

They left the bathroom just as the taxi driver knocked on the front door. Her mum and dad packed their things into the taxi and everyone climbed in, ready to leave this place behind. Her family and the taxi driver talk the entire way to the airport, she, however, stayed silent.

They boarded the plane and were on their way to a new life back in Ireland. Alex sat next to Roiben, who was excitedly describing everything he saw in full detail to her. Sometimes she thought this was annoying, but today she was glad for his eyes and keen attention to even the minutest speck. She listened with a half-smile on her face as he rambled on about everything from the shapes of the clouds, to the shades of blue in the sky, and he even went as far as to whisper how there was an older couple kissing on the plane. She loved how the smallest things embarrassed her little brother.

_I wonder how he'd react if I told him that eventually he would kiss a person not related to him. He'd probably flip out and deny it the rest of the way._ She smiled even more at her thoughts of embarrassing her little brother. It was in that moment that she realized that he was pretty much her only friend. _Well hopefully I can make more when I'm at school. It would definitely be a nice change; maybe I'll even make friends who don't feel the need to patronize my blindness._

Suddenly the plane landed and jerked her awake, she hadn't even realized she had fallen asleep. Her and her family patiently waited until everyone else was off of the plane before exiting. She held Roiben's hand as they walked through the terminal and outside to yet another taxi.

Roiben described everything to her on the car ride, seeming even more excited than he had on the plane. She gently squeezed his hand, hoping he'd get the message that she was as excited as him but nervous as well, and even if he didn't get the message, that was fine too.

They arrived at their new house, everyone else walked in quickly while she followed behind slow enough to get the feel of the house. She wondered around, not even surprised by the fact that everything was already unpacked. _Another joy of being from the Wizarding world. _Her parents had hired professional wizard movers, who pretty much just Apparate your things from one location to another, and they even keep the layout the same. Her parents had even bought a house exactly the same as the one in the states solely for her benefit.

The rest of the week went on normally with only the occasional trip she and Roiben made so he could explore the land their house was on. Finally when Sunday came around an owl dropped off a letter that was addressed to her. Roiben opened it and read her Hogwarts acceptance letter to her, pausing long enough to squeal his excitement. The family agreed that the next day they would travel to Diagon Alley to pick up Alex's school supplies.

"Wake up Alex. Come on, today we get to do more exploring. Hurry up, everyone is waiting on you." Roiben was shaking her to emphasize every syllable as well as to wake her up.

Alex rolled over and grabbed her brother, hugging him so he couldn't get away as she tickled him intensely. He kept wiggling, trying to get away, and they both ended up on the floor, laughing. She let him go and he helped her get up. Then she shooed him out so that she could get dressed. She left her room and joined her family by the fireplace, today they were traveling by Floo powder.

Once they were all in Diagon Alley, they walked to Madam Malkin's robe shop. Inside an old witch escorted Alex onto a pedestal in order to size her robes. About twenty minutes later, she was finished and they were on their way to the next shop. They stopped by a vendor and one butterbeer each, both Alex and Roiben were thrilled as the butterbur was delicious. After the quick stop, they decided the next store to go to would be Ollivander's Wand Shop.

They stopped outside of the shop to talk briefly. "Well Alex, sometimes it takes a long time to get the right wand, so if you don't mind, we figured it would be easier to go get the rest of your supplies while you're inside." Mum stated nonchalantly.

Alex smiled blankly. She knew that she would only slow down the process of shopping and it wasn't like she could really do much sightseeing anyway. "Alright, but take Roiben with you. He's practically dying to explore this place. I'll stay here, so after you're done, don't forget to come back and get me."

"Thanks Alex. I'll tell you all about it when we get home."

"I'm sure you will kid." She chuckled as he walked her to the door, then he held it open for her so she could just walk inside.

Once inside she could smell the dust and the mildew in the air, she had been told this was the oldest shop in Diagon Alley and to her, it definitely smelled that way. She cautiously walked forward until she felt the counter in front of her. She couldn't hear anyone around her.

"Hello? Is anybody there? Mr. Ollivander?"

As if on cue suddenly she heard someone scuffling around in the back, the footsteps seemed to get closer. She could feel a presence in front of her.

"Ah, Miss Draven, finally stopping in my store for your wand, eh? Thought you'd be closer to fourteen, you should have been here two years ago."

"Well, I'll be fourteen in September. How do you know who I am though?"

He laughed softly. "Your mother and father brought you in here when you were very little, no more than three years old. Well, let's get you started."

"But Mr. Ollivander, I'm -"

"Blind? Yes, I know. Don't worry about that, all you have to do is stand there. When I find a wand that I think will work for you, I'll hand it to you."

"Alright" she nodded, "you're the boss."

She heard him shuffling around the store, chattering aimlessly about how the wand chooses the wizard and how it generally took ten minutes to an hour to get some students their wands. Finally she heard him walking back towards her. She held out her left hand, ready to take the wand from him.

"First one. Seven inches, Holly and unicorn hair." He placed the wand in her hand. "Just wave it; you'll know if the proper response happens."

She felt foolish, but waved it anyhow… nothing. She handed it back.

"It's rare that the right wand is picked in the first try. Be right back."

She heard the door open, slow footsteps walking towards her; she could smell raspberries and mint. The footsteps stopped to her right, so she turned her head slightly in that direction.

She hadn't even noticed Mr. Ollivander was back until she felt him place a wand in her hand.

"Be with you in a moment sir. Now, Miss Draven, this one is ten inches, Willow and Veela hair. It is very rare to have Veela hair as a core and I only have three here at the store."

She waved it and the sensation that flowed through her was an incredible feeling, light and airy. Also, the air smelled as it did in the morning after a summer rain, her favorite scent that she knew of.

"Well done Miss Draven. The wand is one Galleon and three Knuts. I also throw in a free small jar of wand polish."

Alex pulled out her money pouch. _One big one, that's the Galleon and three small ones, those are the Knuts._ She handed the money to Ollivander, put her pouch back in her pocket and followed the counter till she found a chair. She sat down with her wand in her lap, waiting for her family to come collect her.

She wasn't really paying attention to Ollivander and the stranger, but when she finally heard him speak, she couldn't help but eavesdrop a little.

"I need you to take a look at my wand," his voice was like liquid velvet and honey rolled into one, "it's been sluggish performing even simple spells."

She wanted to lean in closer, to be able to breathe in the scent of him. She was about to stand up when she heard the door open again. She recognized the footsteps as Roiben's, so she stood up and let him lead her out of the store. She didn't even get to learn the name of the young man in the store.

"Well?" Her mum asked once they were outside. "What did you end up getting?"

"A rare one according to Ollivander. Ten inches, made of Willow with -" she paused for a dramatic effect, "Veela hair in its core."

"Oh, we got you a present too." Roiben said eagerly. "Mum reckons she'll be useful. It's an owl. She's a spotted owl so she's about sixteen inches long, dark brown with white spots and just all around, a beautiful bird."

"What should I name her?"

"Well sweetheart, I'm sure you'll think of something." Her dad said as he hugged her shoulders in a side hug.

"Thanks for the gift everyone, I love her and I'm almost certain I'll have a name for her by the end of the day."

They headed back to The Leaky Cauldron for lunch, each person getting their favorite. Alex ordered a roast beef sandwich, which she munched on quietly as Roiben described everything he saw. When everyone was finished with their lunch they headed towards the fireplace to head home.

Before they could pack up any of her school supplies Alex's mum performed a spell on all the books so that they were no longer written in English but in Braille. After she finished with the books, she handed them to Roiben to take into Alex's room. Once Alex and Roiben were in her room he set the owl's cage down on her desk and proceeded to help her pack up her supplies and clothes for school so that she wouldn't have to worry about packing anything the night before school started.

"What do you think about Stormy?" Alex asked as she headed to her desk and opened up the cage.

"Stormy? Like stormy weather kind of Stormy? Well, I like it. It works for both genders and it sounds pretty." Roiben answered as he opened up the window in case the owl wanted to go outside.

She smiled, "Stormy it is." She reached into the cage and gently petted her owl, listening to her hoot softly.

They left the room to head to the dining room for dinner just as Stormy flew out the window in search of her own meal. Alex and Roiben took their respective seats just as their mum walked out of the kitchen with dinner. They talked about everything that happened that day, although Alex omitted the details about the boy in Ollivander's Wand Shop. The conversation went on merrily until everyone was full from the great meal of corned beef and cabbage. The adults cleaned up the dishes while Alex and Roiben stayed sitting at the table, waiting for tea and dessert.

"I wonder what's for dessert tonight. I hope its cake." Roiben drummed his fingers on the table impatiently.

"You always hope its cake. I hope it's a mint chocolate pudding pie." Alex smiled at the thought of mint.

When her parents walked back into the dining room she smelled the air and smiled. What she smelled reminded her of the boy in Ollivander's, realizing that she probably wouldn't see him again, she frowned slightly.

She leaned in and whispered to Roiben, "Raspberry cheesecake and mint tea."

Her parents served up the tea and dessert for everyone, and then they sat down and started on their dessert. Alex stayed quiet while everyone else was talking, not really paying much attention to the conversation. After dessert was over she decided to turn in to bed early, as she was fairly exhausted but mostly to dream in peace.

The next three weeks passed in a blur of moments, only pausing occasionally for Roiben to drag her around the town to explore. She only had one more week before the start of the term, secretly she hoped this week would pass just as fast as the last few weeks had, not that she wanted to be away from her family, but she had wanted to see if that boy went to Hogwarts.


	2. Chapter 2

_Author's Note: This chapter is about Alex's trip to Hogwarts and her Sorting. Reviews and feedback welcome. Please enjoy the story thus far._

Chapter Two

This last week seemed to take forever to Alex but it was finally here, it was the night before the start of the term. Her mum had cooked up something special for this dinner, it was Alex's favorite, roast beef and mashed potatoes. The four of them talked about the next day, all of them excited but all of them nervous at the same time.

"The only issue we have with tomorrow is that your mum and I have a lot to do tomorrow with Roiben so we'll only be able to get you on the train, we won't be able to stay long enough to see you leave. Is that alright?"

"That's fine with me, as long as I don't have to try and find a way onto the platform myself." She smiled as she remembered the other day and how her parents had described trying to find the platform was a fairly hard task unless you were with someone who knew how to find it.

They continued talking while they ate the rest of their dinner. Alex decided to opt out of dessert and head to bed early, just in case it took her a while to get to sleep. She excused herself from the table and went to bed.

She lay in bed listening to Stormy for hours before she finally fell asleep. It seemed like she had just fell asleep when suddenly Roiben was shaking her awake. He was excited; she could tell because all the while he was shaking her, he was talking so fast. All she caught of what he said while he was rambling was "hurry," "school," and "wake up." She pushed his hands away playfully, sitting up and scooting to the edge of the bed.

"Alright Roiben, I'm up. Now let me get dressed, even though I'm sure we're getting ready a few hours early."

Roiben left the room so she could get dressed. She put on the outfit that she had laid out the night before. _I'm really glad that mom color coded my clothes for me. People are probably going to think that I look very unusual._ She smiled at this thought because her outfit would look strange. She was wearing black jeans, a dark green miniskirt, a black tank top, dark green Chucks and black lace arm warmers. She was also wearing her hair pulled into a half ponytail tied off with a dark green velvet string, and she was wearing a Celtic love knot necklace.

She left her room and went out to the kitchen; her mum was cooking a light breakfast. She softly coughed so as to get her mum's attention.

"So? How do I look? Do I look freaky American enough?" She smiled at her mum as she slowly twirled.

Her mum laughed, "You don't look freaky, at least not to me." Her mum sighed softly, "Sometimes I wish you could see just how beautiful you look."

She walked over to her mum and hugged her, "Maybe the school nurse can do something, or we could go to St. Mungo's. Don't forget that in America, you took me to a Muggle hospital and they hardly help anyone. I'll talk to the headmaster and the nurse about it."

She let her mum go and walked into the dining room. She sat down and a few seconds later her mum was bringing out and serving breakfast. They ate quietly, enjoying each other's company for the last time until the holidays and that was only if she decided to come home for the holidays.

After they finished their breakfast, her dad packed all her things into the car and they left for the train station. When they got there her dad put all her things on a trolley and pushed it while Roiben held her hand to direct her through the crowd. They got to platforms nine and ten without any issue. Roiben let their mum take her hand and he went in with their dad first, then her mum just kept walking her straight until they were through the barrier.

She heard the voices and laughter of others around her all talking about what they were expecting to happen this year at Hogwarts. She smiled and felt a little more confident about being there. Her dad lugged her stuff onto the train into an empty room while her mum led her and Roiben to the same spot. She hugged her family and said goodbye. Her family left the train and she was completely alone.

She went to sit down but tripped on her own trunk. _Dad must have forgotten that blind girl can't see in order to put her own trunk on the rack. Silly dad. _She tried anyway; she pushed and pulled, almost giving up when she heard the door open.

"Do you need some help getting your trunk up on the rack?" A boy asked her in a very mellow voice.

"Er… yes, my dad forgot to put it up there for me." She stated calmly.

The boy opened the door again and yelled, "Oi, Ron, come help me with this trunk. Then we can sit in here instead of looking all over the place for a room."

She heard another boy come into the room. The two boys heaved her trunk onto the rack.

"Harry, who is she?" The other boy asked in a slightly husky voice.

"Dunno Ron, didn't ask her. I just volunteered to help her with her trunk." The boy called Harry replied.

The two boys then placed their own trunks onto the rack and sat down.

"I'm Ron Weasley."

"Harry Potter."

"I'm Alex Draven." She said as she slightly waved.

The door to the room opened again and all Alex could smell was parchment and peppermint. She smiled knowing that scent could belong to only one person.

"Hermione? Is that you?" She asked timidly.

"Alex? I can't believe it's you." Hermione walked over and hugged her. "I thought you were joking when you said your parents wanted to move back."

"Nope. My parents were dead set on the idea of moving back, mostly so that Roiben could go to Hogwarts when he starts school."

They laughed and hugged some more.

"Mind telling us what's going on here?" Ron asked.

"Oh seriously Ronald." Hermione giggled. "Alex is a pen pal that I've had for the past two years. She was living in America and her parents decided to move back to Ireland."

"Oh. So that explains why I've never seen you before. And why are you wearing all green, do you hope to be a Slytherin?" Ron rambled.

"I don't honestly care what house I'm in. My mum was in Ravenclaw and my dad was in Hufflepuff. And the reason I wear green is because it's my favorite color." She paused as she heard Ron softly chuckle. "Are you making faces at me or something because I can't see you?"

Ron stopped laughing. "What do you mean you can't see me? I'm sitting right in front of you."

"I'm blind. I can't see anything."

The room got very silent. Finally Harry spoke up, "I'm sorry, he didn't know. Ron's not known for being very observant."

"Wait, so if you can't see then how do you know green is your favorite color?"

_Of all the things he could have asked me, he wants to know why green is my favorite color… he really isn't very bright, just like Hermione told me._ "Green is the color of grass, leaves and emeralds to name a few. Green symbolizes life and immortality. Seriously, even Harry's eyes are green." She paused long enough to here Ron inhale. "Before you ask, Hermione told me. She described both of you to me. Harry is average height, smaller build, black messy hair, green eyes and glasses. Ron is tall, average build, red hair, blue eyes and number five out of seven."

"Hermione, how does she read your letters?" Harry asked, genuinely interested.

Hermione sounded pleased as she answered. "Well I had to learn a new spell for this to work; it basically transforms what I write down into Braille so she can read it. It's a fairly easy spell but I did have to get special permission from the Ministry so I could use it, they told me as long as I was alone I could use the spell since it was for correspondence purposes."

"And the way she reads my letters it simple, my quill writes what I say." Alex nodded.

The rest of the train ride was filled with lots of question towards Alex and she answered them as best as she could. When the time came to change into their robes, Alex climbed onto the seat to pull one of her robes out.

"I'm only putting on robes; I'm not changing out of this outfit until I go to bed." She smiled.

"Well she'll definitely fit in with us, defying the rules since day one pretty much." Harry stated.

"So how will you be sorted?" Ron added.

She shrugged her shoulders, "Not quite sure how, my letter just told me to sit wherever and after the feast I'd be sorted."

"Oh please sit with us then." Hermione begged.

Alex nodded. Then they sat back down after they were done changing and waited for the train ride to end. After about another thirty minutes the train finally pulled to a stop.

Hermione lead Alex off the train and headed towards the carriages. The ride was short and was over almost as soon as it started. She let Hermione lead her to the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall. She sat in silence as the Sorting Ceremony was done and as Dumbledore made his speech before the feast.

She ate quietly as everyone around her babbled on about their summers and anything else they could talk about. When finally the feast finished everyone got up to go to bed, Hermione volunteered to stay with Alex until she was sorted.

Professor McGonagall walked over to Alex and Hermione. "Ah Miss Granger, if you'll lead Miss Draven to Professor Dumbledore, while I retrieve the other three guides."

"Yes professor." Hermione said and then lead Alex up towards Dumbledore's pedestal.

The two of them stood there waiting until McGonagall showed up with three students in toe. Alex smelled a familiar scent other than Hermione and she indistinctly smiled, it was the boy from Ollivander's, the one she wanted most to meet up with again and maybe even actually talk to.

"Miss Granger, Mister Malfoy, Mister Finch-Fletchley and Miss Lovegood, the four of you have been chosen as guides, one from each of the four houses. Miss Draven will be joining you fourth year students as soon as she is sorted. Once she is sorted, the three remaining students may go back to their dormitories by themselves while the fourth student will escort Miss Draven around school for the term. Miss Draven, if you will please accompany me to the Sorting Hat." McGonagall stated and then reached out to lead Alex to the Sorting Hat.

She sat down on the stool and waited. Professor McGonagall placed the hat on her head and everyone waited.

_**Why are you thinking of raspberries and mint?**_

_There's a boy here, he smells like raspberries and mint, it's two of my favorite scents in the world._

_**Interesting… well you possess many traits admired by each house, so where should I put you? Is there a specific house or is anywhere fine?**_

_I'm quite content with any house. Although I think I'd like to be in Hermione Granger's house if that's at all possible._

_**Alright then. "**_**Gryffindor." **The hat shouted the last part for everyone to hear.

Professor McGonagall removed the hat from her head and led her down to Hermione.

"So does this mean we can leave now professor?" It was his voice, velvety smooth and sweetened with honey.

"Yes Mister Malfoy, you may all leave now. Miss Granger, please show Miss Draven to the common room." McGonagall stated.

Alex listened to all the other students leave before Hermione lead them out of the Great Hall. They were already up at least one flight of stairs before she felt comfortable enough to ask Hermione questions about the others.

"Er… Hermione, who were the other students that were my prospective guides?" She mumbled nervously.

Hermione paused as if she were trying to find the right words to answer with. "Well there was Justin Finch-Fletchley, he's from Hufflepuff, I don't know too much about him. Then there was Luna Lovegood, she's from Ravenclaw, she's alright but a bit out there. And then there was Draco Malfoy," she said his name with disgust, "he's in Slytherin and he's a right nasty git. He's been a constant enemy of Harry, Ron and I. Why?" She asked a bit suspiciously.

"I was just wondering who everyone was, you know, since I would have been stuck with any one of you." Alex answered casually.

They walked the rest of the way without really speaking much. When they got to the Fat Lady, Harry and Ron were waiting outside for them.

"Well I guess it's safe to say she's in Gryffindor." Ron said.

"Oh, and the password is Balderdash." Harry commented, and as he said the word, the portrait opened.

They all walked in and went to their respective dorm rooms to go to bed. Alex lay awake for hours thinking of Draco and of what she would say to him if they ever actually talked. After a while she fell asleep, dreaming of a world where she could see the face of that irresistible scent.


	3. Chapter 3

_Author's Note: Alex's school life from day one to Christmas break (which I made three weeks long for all intense and purposes.) Things are really starting to get good in this chapter. Review and feedback appreciated. Enjoy this chapter, probably won't post more for a while._

Chapter Three

The next morning Alex woke up when she heard Hermione getting up. She got dressed and headed down for breakfast with Hermione, Ron and Harry. When they got their schedules the trio was downhearted to see that they had double Potions with Slytherin first thing this morning, Alex however, was thrilled about it. They finished breakfast and started heading down to the Dungeons.

When they got down to the Dungeons, Professor Snape was there and proceeded to split the group up, leaving the trio as they were but pairing Alex with Draco. Hermione was about to protest when Alex stopped her.

"Don't worry about it; I'll make fun of him for you. It'll be okay, think of it this way; I'm just taking one for the team." She whispered to her friends.

Hermione led her to the table that Draco was sitting and then returned to her own seat. Alex's heart was beating so fast she almost missed what potion Snape instructed them to make, they were supposed to be making a Shrinking Solution. She couldn't help but feel giddy around Draco; she blamed it on the possibility of being intoxicated on his fragrance.

After roughly twenty minutes into the lesson, Alex placed her hand lightly onto Draco's to keep him from adding the ingredient in his hand.

"Don't touch me, you -" Draco exclaimed as he pulled his hand out from under hers, "what makes you think you've got the right?"

Alex turned to face him, her face flushed. "I was just going to tell you that you're putting in the wrong ingredient. By all means though," she waved her hand, "sabotage your potion if you want."

"What do you mean? I'm putting in Boomslang skins, that's the next part."

She smiled and laughed softly, "No Draco, there isn't any Boomslang in this. The next part is one rat spleen."

"How can you tell the difference? You're blind."

Sighing, she responded simply by holding the Boomslang in one hand and a rat spleen in the other. "Smell them."

"What? You want me to -"

"Just smell the damn things Draco." She shook her head at his impertinence.

Draco leaned forward and smelled the two objects; he pulled back and made a small "hmm" noise. "I guess you really can smell the difference between the two. Listen, I'm not very good at this but I'm -" he lowered his voice to a barely audible whisper, "sorry."

She smiled as they continued working on their potion. Meanwhile, on the other end of the room, Harry, Ron and Hermione were watching the two. Harry and Ron thought she was convincing Malfoy to put the wrong ingredient into his potion, so they let it go while they tried to hurry up to finish their potions. Hermione however, was a bit more suspicious, but would wait until she could get Alex alone to talk to her about it.

The lesson ended quicker than Alex wanted it to, but she was glad that she got to talk to Draco, even if it was pointing out his mistakes. She reached down to pick up her book bag, but Draco had already had it. He handed it over to her while he secretly and quickly slipped a piece of parchment into her hand.

She blushed and mumbled a quick "thank you" while shoving the paper into her pocket before Hermione got to her. She stood up and took the arm that Hermione offered to her. She tried hiding the smile on her face but it was next to near impossible to do. She walked arm in arm with Hermione out of the classroom.

"I have to go to the girl's room Alex; don't you need to go too?" Hermione slightly urged.

Alex nodded, "Er… yeah. Excuse us boys. We'll meet up with you in Transfiguration."

Harry and Ron just mumbled as Alex and Hermione walked to the nearest girl's bathroom. They were quiet on the way but as soon as they got inside, Hermione couldn't help herself.

"Alex, what were you and Malfoy talking about in Potions?" Hermione exhaled heavily as if a weight was lifted off of her chest.

"I was just correcting him on ingredients. He was about to put Boomslang skin in the potion instead of a rat spleen." Blush began to creep up her face again, "And then he gave me a piece of parchment while he was handing me my bag."

"He didn't? What's it say?"

"I don't know what it says; I haven't gotten a chance to read it." She pulled the paper out of her pocket and unfolded it. "I can't feel anything, it's not in Braille."

"I'll read it for you." Hermione took the note, "It simply reads: Thanks for helping me with my potion. Feel free to sit with me again in Potions. Malfoy." She handed Alex back the note as she pulled out her own quill and some parchment.

"What are you writing Hermione?"

"Just the book and spell name I had to use while writing to you. I'm sure Malfoy will find it useful. So, do you like him?"

Alex told Hermione all about that day at Ollivander's, how he smells to her, how his voice sounds and how this is the first time she's felt this way about anyone.

"I know all too well how that feels. I get jittery too around -"

"Harry?" Alex offered.

"How did you know?"

"I'm blind, not dumb. I hear how you say his name, how your breathing sounds when you talk to him and a number of other signs that just about anyone could notice if they tried hard enough. Is it going to be an issue that I like Draco?" She liked the way his name sounded rolling off of her tongue.

"I don't mind as long as he stays in check. He's got a bad habit of calling me dirty names, but it doesn't bother me much anymore. It may not sit well with Harry and Ron at first, but they'll get over it eventually. Promise you won't tell Harry that I like him?" Hermione pleaded.

"I swear, but you should tell him and we should really get to class now."

They both were giggling as they walked briskly. They entered McGonagall's classroom just a little after the bell. Hermione led Alex to their seats. Neither one really paying all that much attention to class, but it was a good thing that Alex had her quill or else they probably would never know what the lesson was about.

Class ended fairly swiftly with minimum amounts of homework. Alex and Hermione excused themselves to go to the Owlery so that Alex could send a letter to her family about her first day so far. They agreed to meet up with Harry and Ron in the Great Hall for lunch immediately after they were done.

The two of them were chatting casually on their way to the Owlery, hardly paying attention to anyone. It wasn't until they heard Malfoy's voice up ahead that they were even a bit concerned. They continued a bit and hid, eavesdropping on the conversation.

"I've told you already Pansy; I'm not interested in dating you." Draco firmly stated.

"But Draco, we're meant for each other, I -" Pansy pleaded.

"Not interested!" Draco snapped before Pansy could tell him she loved him for what seemed like the hundredth time today.

"You seemed to be interested in that blind Gryffindor girl… what was her name? Alex or something like that…" Pansy pried, pushing Draco's buttons.

Alex gripped Hermione's hand tightly, not sure she wanted to hear his response to the accusation. Hermione gently patted her hand, trying to be reassuring but it didn't seem to be working.

"Pansy, she was helping me with my potion. That's all it was, now if you don't mind, I've got some things to send off." He started walking away.

Alex and Hermione stayed hidden until Hermione saw Pansy walk past them. She then continued to lead Alex up to the Owlery; even though Alex wasn't sure she wanted to go anymore.

"Come on Alex, cheer up. He didn't say that he hated you, he just wanted to get rid of Pansy… trust me she's really annoying."

"I guess, alright, let's get this done with… and I really do want to send a quick note to my parents, but I'll do that tomorrow." Alex tried to smile even though she was put off a bit by Draco's brashness.

As they walked into the Owlery, she heard Draco stop what he was doing. She was frightened of how he would react towards her.

"I… er… I was just about to send an owl." Draco stammered like a child with his hand caught in the cookie jar.

"I'm not stopping you, I just wanted to give you a note back, to respond to the one you gave me." She held out the note that Hermione wrote, only then realizing that Hermione wasn't standing next to her anymore.

"Oh," Draco cautiously took the note and opened it, "what's this about?" He sounded genuinely confused.

She smiled, "It's a book name and a spell that transforms regular writing into Braille. That way if you decided you wanted to write me again, you could use this spell so I could read the note on my own. Without having to have somebody else read it to me." She would have to thank Hermione for this note.

He chuckled nervously, "So who read the last note to you then?"

"Hermione Granger."

He fell silent for a while, "I guess I'll really have to learn this spell then, just in case I need it, that is."

They stood there quietly for some time. She wasn't sure how long it was but just as she was about to say something, she felt Draco closer to her with him placing a soft kiss on her cheek and a small box in her hands.

"See you later Alex." He whispered breathily in her ear.

"Yeah." She mumbled faintly.

She heard him walk outside and heard Hermione walk up to her. She felt herself being shaken out of her daze.

"Alex? Are you alright? What happened? I went to go keep watch in case Pansy came looking for Malfoy, I figured I would give you two some alone time. Alex?" Hermione sounded concerned.

"I handed him the note… told him to learn the spell or else you'd have to read me his notes… he agreed to learn it… then he kissed my cheek and handed me this." Alex held out the small box so Hermione could see it.

"Open it! It's a gift."

"I'm afraid to open it."

"Oh seriously Alex… do you want me to open it for you?"

Alex nodded and held the box out further so Hermione could take it. She was breathing slowly as Hermione opened the box. She heard her gasp and immediately thought it was something bad.

"Hermione? What is it? Is it something horrible?" Alex felt like she was going to hyperventilate.

Hermione exhaled, "No Alex… it's something beautiful. It's a silver chain with a moonstone crescent moon on it and it also has a small silver tag type thing on it. The tag says: I'll give you the moon for that look in your eyes." Hermione clasped the necklace on Alex, "That's actually really sweet coming from him."

They started walking back to the castle when Alex stopped.

"Hermione?"

"Yes?"

"Can you take me to Dumbledore?"

"Yes. Why?"

"I need to ask him about something."

"Alright, did you want to go now?"

"Please."

"Okay, come on."

Hermione didn't pry any further as to why she needed to talk to Dumbledore, but she could probably have made an educated guess. They walked into the castle and into the Great Hall to grab a bit of food just as lunch was ending. After they finished eating, they explained to Harry and Ron that they were going to see Dumbledore during the free period.

The two of them found Professor McGonagall walking on the way towards Professor Dumbledore's office.

"Professor? We were wondering if you knew the password for Professor Dumbledore's office, Alex needs to speak to him about something." Hermione inquired.

"I cannot just give you the password, but I will accompany the two of you there on my way to my next class." Professor McGonagall replied as she started walking off towards the headmaster's office.

Suddenly they stopped and McGonagall muttered something that Alex didn't pay attention to. Hermione walked her inside and up to the actual office. Hermione offered to wait outside of the door so that way Alex could speak in private to Dumbledore.

Alex waited until Dumbledore acknowledged her presence when he came down a set of stairs.

"Please sit Miss Draven." Alex sat at the invitation. "What brings you to my office at this time of day?" He spoke softly in a voice that resonated with authority.

"Professor… I was wondering if you knew if the nurse or St. Mungo's or something could help me get my sight back. I know it's a lot to ask for on the first day, but… I'm tired of being in the dark." She felt like she wanted to cry.

"Madam Pomfrey cannot do it, not with as many students that attend the school. St. Mungo's on the other hand should be able to do something. I was actually on my way there today, let me ask while I'm there and I will let you know what they say when I get back. Does that sound like a plan?"

"Yes sir. Thank you." She responded as she stood up and headed for the door.

"By the way Miss Draven, that's a very nice necklace you have there. You're decision to have your eyes fixed wouldn't have anything to do with the person who gave that to you, would it?"

Alex smiled, "He's a factor Professor, but not my entire reasoning. It's especially hard to see the light like this and I really do hate the dark."

She opened the door and found Hermione waiting for her. The two of them then walked down to the greenhouses for their Herbology lesson with Hufflepuff. When they were in the classroom, Professor Sprout allowed Alex to sit the lesson out and to just take notes about it. She sat close to the other students with her quill taking notes.

She however, was completely bored. She began fidgeting and playing with the necklace that Draco gave her, trying her best not to blush when she thought about him kissing her cheek. She hoped Dumbledore would be able to find a way to get her help. It would make things a lot easier.

The class was over and she packed up her things, ready to go to Charms next. She walked with the entire Golden Trio to class, talking about random things. They got into the classroom and the lesson started about five minutes after they sat down.

It was halfway through the class when the door opened. Alex recognized that scent. It was Draco Malfoy and she had no idea why he was there. She heard him walk over to Professor Flitwick. There was a rapid exchange of words, and then Professor Flitwick cleared his throat.

"Ah, Miss Draven, it seems that Professor Dumbledore needs to see you in his office. Mister Malfoy was sent to escort you there and you might as well take your things, I'm sure you'll be there for the rest of the lesson." Flitwick announced.

She packed up all her things and stood up. She reached out her hand and Draco took it in his, leading her out the door. Once out the door, she allowed herself to smile and even blush a tiny bit.

"So why you?" She asked him casually.

"Professor McGonagall sent me to Dumbledore's office for being a public disturbance during class. When I got there, Dumbledore gave me a lecture then sent me with a note to get you." Draco affirmed.

"Ah."

"So why are you being called to his office? Did you cause trouble? And only on the first day of school too." He joked with her.

"Well if that isn't the pot calling the kettle black, Mister Public Disturbance." She giggled and playfully pushed his shoulder. "No, it's not for trouble, I had to ask him a question for my mum and he needed time to get the answer. That's why I'm going back now."

"By the way, that necklace looks very nice on you." He smiled and squeezed her hand gently.

She blushed and squeezed his hand back, "Thank you for it also. I forgot to say that to you earlier today."

They stopped in front of Dumbledore's office. Draco kissed her cheek softly again before muttering the password.

"I'll wait for you out here." He whispered to her and then he kissed her on the lips this time.

She blushed and walked up the stairs by herself. She was really hoping now that Dumbledore had good news for her. When she entered the office, Dumbledore was there to lend a hand to the chairs. She sat down and waited for him to speak.

"Well, the nurses at St. Mungo's can do it, it isn't cheap, it isn't easy and it can't be done unless you have a least a week to spare. I've already offered them for the payment if you're willing to go through with this. It's up to you whether or not it gets done. They would expect you during Christmas break, all I need to do, is send them an owl with your answer." Dumbledore explained.

"I want to do this Professor. I want to know what colors look like, what my parents look like, my brother, my friends and… everyone else." She smiled, "And I especially want to know what I look like."

She heard Dumbledore writing something, and then she heard an owl. She smiled even more knowing that not only did she not have long to wait, but that she would be able to see what the important people in her life looked like.

"Miss Draven, I've sent your response. Make sure you let your parents know where you'll be during Christmas vacation and I'll send them an owl with the permission form since you're still under aged. You may return to your class, go to your dormitory or head to the Great Hall. The choice is yours." He simply stated as he walked her back to the door.

"Thank you Professor." She called back as she walked down the stairs to meet up with Draco.

When she got to the bottom of the stairs, she could smell Draco there, waiting for her like he said he would. She smiled as he reached out and took her hand.

"What's with the grin? Something good happen?" He asked, not sure if she would actually answer.

"I'm grinning because I'm happy. I'm happy for a multitude of reasons, good news from Dumbledore and being here with you." She blushed lightly.

He squeezed her hand and kissed her lightly on the lips. "So where to now? The Great Hall or back to your class?"

Her smile turned into a small frown when the bell to let out the classes rang. She wasn't sure she wanted to leave him, but she knew they couldn't stay like this around other, at least not yet.

"I guess head me towards my class so Hermione can take me back to our dorms. I'm sorry we didn't get more time together."

"It's alright. Are you going home for Christmas break?"

"No, I'm not going home for break."

He squeezed her hand and walked her until Hermione found them. Hermione took her other hand and looked at Draco.

"Thank you Malfoy for taking care of her, but we need to go put our stuff up in our dorm before supper. You should do the same. Kiss her quick before anyone comes around." Hermione giggled.

Draco took her advice and kissed Alex one more time before letting her hand go. She wasn't quite sure she wanted to be away from him, but it was inevitable right now while she was so vulnerable.

She and Hermione went and put their stuff up in the dorms and headed down for supper. She stayed serene and peaceful during their meal, only adding to the conversation if she was directly asked something. The rest of the night went smoothly and rapidly. She left with Hermione to head to bed.

The time flew until it was the day before Christmas break. Harry, Ron and Hermione were all staying at school. Alex was sitting outside with the trio when Professor McGonagall showed up.

"I've come to collect you Miss Draven. Dumbledore says it's urgent and he also wants me to let you others know that Miss Draven is going for a consultation at St. Mungo's and she'll be fine. He'll also allow you three access by Floo powder to see her if you want. Come on now Miss Draven." McGonagall took Alex's hand and led her to Dumbledore's.


	4. Chapter 4

_Author's Note: So I hadn't really planned to upload this so soon, but I tend to be a little absent minded so if I don't do it now, I'll forget to do it until way later. This chapter is about Alex's trip to St. Mungo's... to me this is a pretty touching chapter (for multiple reasons) and I hope you enjoy reading it, as much as I enjoyed writing it. Stay tuned for more to come... and as always, reviews are welcome._

Chapter Four

She was standing with Dumbledore in his office, waiting for him to start the side along Apparition. After waiting for about twenty seconds she heard a loud crack and they were standing somewhere else. There were noises she didn't even recognize all around her and honestly, it scared her.

Dumbledore calmly walked her to where they were supposed to be. She heard the voice of an elderly witch conversing with Dumbledore about the treatment. The nurse then took Alex's hand from him and walked her into a different part of the ward. She had Alex sit on the hospital bed while she asked a few question.

"Were you born blind?"

"Yes ma'am."

"How long have you been blind?"

"Fourteen years."

"Are you sure you want to go through with this treatment?"

"Yes ma'am."

The nurse patted her hand, "Alright then dear, wait here and I'll go get the other nurse assigned to you and we'll begin your treatment."

She sat there waiting for about ten minutes before the nurse came back with the other attendant. She could hear the two of them moving things around her bed. The other nurse had her lay back on the bed and tilt her head back.

"Honey," the other nurse was talking, she sounded younger. "this is going to feel funny the first time, but what we're doing is putting an eye potion directly onto your eyes. It's going to be four drops in each eye followed by a warm compress on your eyes for thirty minutes. This has to happen a full twenty-four hours to ensure that the change is permanent. If this hurts at any time, let any of the nurses know so we can fix the issue quickly. Alright dear, are you ready?"

Alex nodded slightly. She felt the nurses hold open her eyes and felt four drops of something in each eye. They allowed her to close her eyes before placing a warm wash cloth on her eyes. She could feel a tingling sensation underneath the wash cloth that almost tickled. She decided that now was as good as any to take a nap. Eye drops, wash cloth and nap. The cycle repeated like this for the next twenty-four hours with small breaks so she could eat a little before continuing the treatment.

Meanwhile back at the castle. Hermione, Ron and Harry were sitting together in one of the courtyards. The boys were playing with some Exploding Snap cards while Hermione was finishing up an essay she had for her Ancient Runes class. They all looked up when they heard leaves crunch and saw Malfoy walking over to them.

"Granger, a word please." Draco smirked as he waited for a smart comeback from Harry or Ron.

"Er… sure." She set her essay down, "Be back in a second."

She followed Draco a distance away before he turned and looked at her. His eyes looked haunted, as if he hadn't gotten any sleep last night.

"Where is she Granger? She told me she wasn't going home for the holidays, but she's not here either." He sounded desperately concerned.

"She's at St. Mungo's."

His knees buckled underneath him, "Is she -"

"She's fine. She was going for a consultation."

"For what?"

"For her eyes. She wants to see."

"Is that even possible?"

"It's complicated, but yes it's possible. You should see if Dumbledore will let you go see her, he's letting us go see her. The first two days she won't be allowed to have visitors, the third day is generally reserved for family and the fourth through the seventh day are open for any visitor. So go ask Dumbledore, I'm sure he won't mind letting you go." Hermione tried to comfort him for Alex's sake.

He slowly stood up. "Thanks Granger, I'll go do that." He turned and started walking away, pausing; he called over his shoulder. "You know, you aren't half bad."

Hermione smiled as she walked back over to Harry and Ron. They were staring bewilderedly.

"What did he want?" Harry asked.

"To make sure we weren't doing our essays for Ancient Runes on the same topic. Something about it wouldn't be proper for it to look like he'd copied his essay from a Muggle born." She replied.

"So then why did his knees buckle?" Ron jibed.

"He realized that I had the better topic." She smiled knowing neither of them would ever question her answers.

Draco marched up and into Dumbledore's office with the intent of having to argue seeing Alex considerably. He was surprised however to see that it looked like Dumbledore was waiting for him.

"Mister Malfoy," Dumbledore waved to the chair in front of his desk, "have a seat please. Tell me what's on your mind."

Draco walked over and sat down, exhaling deeply. "I want permission to go see Alex Draven at St. Mungo's. Granger told me that was where she was at."

Dumbledore smiled. "Well you can't go the third day and I'm sure you'd rather not go when Potter and Weasley are going. So are you willing to wait until the fifth day?" The question was simple.

"Yes sir."

"Alright then Draco, I'll make the arrangements. You may leave now if you want." Draco stood up, "Oh and Draco…"

"Yes sir?" He felt nervous.

"That's a very beautiful necklace you gave her."

"How did you -"

"You're father gave a similar one to your mother, although if I remember correctly, her pendant was a star and not a moon." Dumbledore smiled a knowing smile at Draco.

Draco nodded, then turned and left the office.

Alex was doing great today, the treatment was finally over and now all that was left was the recovery period. She looked around at all the colors she didn't even have names for. It was beautiful, sight was beautiful. She smiled from ear to ear.

The first bit of recovery, she was practicing writing and identifying letters. It didn't take her nearly as long as she thought it would and she was glad that she didn't have to learn spelling all over again. Next were color flashcards, each card had the name of the color and an example of the color on it. Although, she had to read the name of the color herself. It was a fun experience.

The last thing they wanted to do was work with her coordination. They had her walking around the courtyard, doing exercises and even playing some Muggle games. She couldn't wait to show off her new found football skills to Hermione and the others. When all was said and done, she finished her sight training just in time for supper.

"Well dear, tomorrow your family comes to see you. I bet that's exciting." The younger nurse commented.

"I'm nervous actually."

"That's to be expected though Alex. It's the first time you'll see your family."

"Dewy?"

"Yes dear?"

"Why can't I look in a mirror until after my family leaves from visiting?" She asked in earnest.

Dewy patted her hand. "We want you to recognize your parents first. That way when you first see yourself, you'll know who you look more like."

"I guess that makes sense." She yawned, "I hope my boyfriend visits me sometime too."

Dewy smiled sweetly, "You never told me you had a boyfriend. What's he like? How long have you two been together?"

She laughed. "Well I'm not quite sure if he's my boyfriend. He hasn't actually asked, but we really seem to like each other. He's the one who gave me my moon necklace. He's a really nice guy. He carries my books, he holds my hand during the classes we have together and we write each other secret notes." She yawned again.

Dewy chuckled and turned off the lights. "He sound like a nice boy, I'm sure he'll visit. Now get some sleep, you've got a big day tomorrow."

She fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillows and she dreamed of Draco. She had a nice full sleep, waking up when she heard her alarm clock go off. She got up, completed her morning routine, got dressed and waited a bit before going to the cafeteria to get breakfast. She brought her food back to her room and ate quietly. She was throwing away her trash when Dewy came in to announce that she had visitors.

She sat on her bed as she watched three people walk into her room, a woman, a man and a young boy. The woman was not much taller than her, very pretty in a plain Jane kind of way with bright red hair, hazel eyes and light freckles. The man was taller than her by about six inches, handsome with dark auburn hair and hazel eyes. It was the young boy who caught her attention the most. He was a foot shorter than her, copper red hair, light hazel eyes, almost invisible freckles and he was absolutely adorable.

She sat still, taking in the sight of her family; she smiled and ran to hug them all. Tears ran down hers and her mum's face.

"Mum! Dad! Roiben!" She cried more, not knowing what to say to them.

After a while they pulled themselves together and sat down in chairs around her bed and talked about the treatment she had received. Her mom would get teary the she talked about how the changes were noticeable at every single step.

"Are you alright though?" Her mum asked. "Are you sure you want the go back to Hogwarts when you get released from here?"

She smiled at her mum's concern. "Yes mum I want to go back. I can use the remaining two weeks of break to explore the castle with sight and that way I'll be able to rely more on myself once school starts back up."

Her parents smiled at each other and then they turned their smiles towards here. She smiled back and turned her head when Dewy walked in with a tray of tea and scones.

"Thought you all might like some tea and scones while you're talking." Dewy smiled as she set the tray down.

Alex smiled at the nurse. "Thank you Dewy, that's very thoughtful."

Dewy politely exited the room and Alex and her family resumed their conversation. Her family stayed and talked for two hours before they had to leave so her parents could return to work.

"Alex, honey, I'm sorry we can't stay longer. We requested an extended lunch, that's why we were able to stay as long as we have." Her mum apologized.

She looked up at her mom and faintly smiled, "It's alright mum, I understand. I'm glad that you both got your old jobs back and that they're willing to let you bring Roiben into work with you."

She hugged her mum and dad. Turning her attention to Roiben, she grabbed him and pulled him into a bear hug.

"Love you little bro. Be good and feel free to send me an owl anytime that you want." She let him go and ruffled his hair.

Her brother smiled, turning away to try and hide his tears. She stayed standing until her family was gone, then she sat on her bed and buried her face into the pillows to cry.

She hadn't realized she had cried herself to sleep until Dewy walked in with her dinner on a tray. Alex rubbed her eyes as she sat up, trying in vain to get rid of the dried tears on her eyelashes. She looked over at Dewy who was smiling at her. She tried to smile back, but she only managed to tweak the corners of her mouth up.

"I have something that will make you feel a little better." Dewy set down the tray on Alex's bedside table.

She raised her eyebrows at the nurse, her interest peaked. "I'll bite. What do you have that will help me feel better?"

Dewy laughed and opened the bathroom door and removed the spell that was obscuring the full length mirror. "Come take a look at yourself. I'm sure that will help a bit since I'm certain that you've been curious about it all day."

She gingerly stood up and walked over to the bathroom door. She stared at the person in the reflection, willing her mind to make the connection that she was looking at herself. She touched her face and watched the person in the mirror make the same movements. She noticed that she looked almost exactly like her mum except she had auburn hair and blue eyes.

"Why did my eyes stay blue?" She inquired out loud.

"It's your natural eye color. The solution we put in your eyes does nothing for the color, just the sight." Dewy shrugged.

"Wicked." She smiled at herself and then returned to her bed.

"Tomorrow you'll have some visitors as well as the day after that. Do let me know if your boyfriend shows up." Dewy smiled as she closed the bathroom door then she turned to leave, "Enjoy your evening Alex."

She watched the nurse leave before she tucked into her dinner. She was hungrier than she had thought. After she finished her meal, she went into the bathroom to clean up and get ready for bed.

She climbed into her bed and fell asleep almost instantly while wondering who would be showing up these next couple of days.


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Note: Sorry it took me ages to post this chapter, not only have I been having writer's block galore, I also didn't have access to the internet :(

So here it is, the fifth chapter... it's not that long and not my best chapter (it seems a bit too cheesy for me, but it kind of works.) In this chapter, Alex finally gets to see her dear friends. Enjoy and review, hopefully I'll get over my writer's block and have a new chapter for you all to read soon.

Chapter Five

She woke up an hour before her alarm was set to go off. She was feeling refreshed and energetic. Her morning went on as normally as it had the past three days and it wasn't until after lunch that Dewy had announced that she had visitors.

She closed her eyes and inhaled. She smelled parchment and peppermint; it was Hermione with Harry and Ron in tow. She opened her eyes and smiled as she saw her friends for the first time. She stood up and hugged each of them.

"So how was the treatment?" Hermione smiled eager to hear all the details.

"The first twenty-four hours were the worst. Every thirty minutes they put drops in my eyes and made me have a warm compress on them. It was worth it though since I can see now." Alex shrugged.

"We can't stay long though." Ron stated.

"Dumbledore dropped us off on his way to see the minister and he'll be picking us up on his way back to Hogwarts." Harry added.

Alex smiled faintly. "That's alright. It's not like I'll be in here for that much longer anyway." She nodded and grinned mischievously, "Now let's talk business."

Her three friends stared at her blankly. She laughed and moved closer to them before speaking, a trick to make them nervous and anxious.

She looked around, "So, who do you all have crushes on at school?" She whispered.

The boys were taken aback while she and Hermione laughed. The four of them sat down around the bed.

She stared at them, "Well? Spit it out. I want to know crushes, I already know Hermione's crush, now I just need to know who you two like. I'll keep it a secret, I promise."

Ron wasn't shy about it. "Well I do like Lavender Brown, but I don't think she likes me like that."

Alex smiled, "Your turn Harry. Who do you like?"

Harry got up and walked over to her and whispered very softly. "Hermione, but please don't tell her."

Alex giggled, "The three of you should really tell the person who you like that you like them, and you would probably be surprised at the results."

"What about you?" Ron asked hastily.

"I'm sure the guy that I like knows that I like him, since he likes me back. We've already talked about it." She said smugly.

Hermione casually changed the subject and they talked for about three hours. The conversation was about anything they could think of. They talked about Alex relearning the castle layout, lessons and even talked about Quidditch. Not that long after they started talking about Quidditch, Dewy walked in an announced that Dumbledore was there to pick up Harry, Ron and Hermione. Alex sighed but didn't mind too much that they were leaving already.

She hugged Harry, "See you guys in a few days." Then she hugged Ron, "And my favorite color is still green Ron."

Hermione hugged her tight and whispered very softly, "I think Draco will be coming to see you tomorrow."

Alex beamed at the thought. The trio said their goodbyes and walked out to meet up with the headmaster. She sat down on her bed and wondered what Draco would look like.

Dewy brought in her supper and sat to talk with her. "So I have a few things to say, first, you'll be going back to Hogwarts tomorrow." Dewy watched a look of confusion on Alex's face, "You've recovered quickly so we don't actually need you to stay the full week. You would have gone back today, but Dumbledore requested you stay till tomorrow since you'll have a guest. It's another student, so when he comes to pick up the other student, you'll be going with. The second thing I wanted to say was… well I was going to ask if either of those boys were the non-boyfriend boyfriend."

"No," she smirked, "neither one of those boys are him. Those two were my mates from my house at school. My non-boyfriend boyfriend is probably the student who is coming tomorrow."

Dewy nodded and then left so that she could eat her meal. When she was finished eating, she took a long hot shower and then got ready for bed. She laid propped up on her bed reading. It was a bit harder for her to read words instead of Braille, but she was getting used to it and it was getting easier the more she read. She closed the book when she finished it and lay down fully to go to sleep. She dreamed yet again of Draco Malfoy.

She must have been having a really intense dream with Draco in it. She swore she could smell raspberries and mint very strongly. She opened her eyes a little and thought she saw an angel. He had blonde hair and cool gray eyes. He looked lithe yet still muscled, like an Olympic swimmer, lean muscle as her mum called it. He was wearing a white dress shirt, black dress slacks and a green vest. He was more handsome that she had expected.

He smiled at her, walked over to the side of her bed and sat on the edge. "Going to sleep in the whole time I'm here?" He joked with his honey velvet voice.

She sat up and stared at him, "No, I don't plan on sleeping the whole time. How come no one let me know you were here?"

He kissed her on the cheek, "I asked your nurse if I could just come in and surprise you. I guess it worked."

She nodded as she got out of bed, "Let me go get dressed and then we can finish this conversation over breakfast."

"Alright, that sounds good to me. I haven't eaten anything yet today."

She went into the bathroom and got dressed in the outfit she wore when she first arrived at St. Mungo's. It was a pair of black jeans, a dark green miniskirt, a black tank top, dark green Chucks and black lace arm warmers. It was the same outfit she wore on her way to school for the first time. She looked in the mirror and smiled. She really liked the way the green complimented her hair and complexion. She brushed her hair, pulled it up into a half ponytail and tied it up with a dark green ribbon. She walked out of the bathroom and saw Draco's jaw drop slightly.

"Didn't your parents ever teach you that it's rude to stare?" She said jokingly as she walked over to him.

He smiled and stood up, "Yes, but I don't think they took into account of someone like you. I must say, you look great in green and I'm glad to see you're still wearing the necklace I gave you." He took her hand and kissed it softly.

"Green is my favorite color. Also, I never take the necklace off." She smiled, "So Draco, what exactly is the relationship we have? Are we just friends or what?"

"I forgot to explain it, didn't I?" He watched a confused look appear on her face, "See, its family tradition. When a male in my family gives a necklace to the girl he's interested in, he's asking her to be with him. He gets his answer when the girl either accepts or declines the necklace. I should have explained this to you before but I just was excited to see you wearing it that I forgot."

She smiled at him, took his hand and started walking towards the cafeteria. They got their breakfast and went to sit down. She resumed the conversation very casually.

"So if it is tradition, then does your mum have a necklace like mine?"

"Well, each male picks a different symbol that they like for the female of their choice and the inscription is different as well, but generally yes, the concept is the same. My mum has a star since she's named after one." He smiled at her in between bites of his omelet.

They finished their breakfast with random bits of conversation during the meal. They decided to go for a walk around the courtyard since it was fairly nice outside. They had been wandering around for about half an hour when they saw Professor Dumbledore. The Professor was sitting on a bench eating some small yellow orbs.

"What is he eating?" Draco whispered as they moved closer to their headmaster.

Alex giggled and smelled the air. "I'm going to guess that he's eating lemon drops. They're a Muggle candy."

Dumbledore looked up at them when they were about three steps away from him. "Lemon drop?" He lifted the package up to offer the candy.

Alex took two pieces and handed one to Draco while popping the other piece into her mouth. Draco stared at it for a few seconds before putting it in his mouth. Both Alex and Dumbledore laughed when they saw Draco make a very sour face. It was a few seconds before Draco's face relaxed.

"This isn't too bad once you get past the really sour part." Draco half admitted to himself as well as out loud.

Dumbledore smiled and nodded, "Are you two ready to go back to Hogwarts yet or would you like to meander around a little while longer?"

She and Draco looked at each other, knowing that they would eventually have to tell their friends about their relationship and they knew that the sooner it was out there the better it would be for everyone.

"Well Professor, I think we're ready to go back now. No sense in delaying the inevitable." Alex sighed.

Dumbledore stood up and they all walked back inside St. Mungo's to head to the main fireplace. They used the Floo network to get back to Dumbledore's office. When they got back to Hogwarts, it was almost time for lunch. Alex decided that she should probably go back to the common room and change out of her green ensemble.

She and Draco headed out of Dumbledore's office together. "I should probably go change. I don't think many of the other Gryffindor students would appreciate seeing someone in their house wearing Slytherin colors."

"I wish you wouldn't, but I understand the reasoning behind it. I'll see you at lunch." He sighed and then pulled her close for a kiss.

They parted ways and she felt suddenly very lonely. She walked up to the common room, trudging along slowly and then barely mumbling the password to the Fat Lady. Once she was inside, she walked up to her dorm and was surprised to see Hermione waiting for her. She smiled slightly as she reached down to pet Crookshanks, who purred loudly.


End file.
